Remembering My Dad Who Came Home from WW2 While Others Didn’t

My dad was a veteran of World War 2. He served as a MP in the Army in Okinawa and came home after the war, had a family and enjoyed the rest of his life while many others who served didn't.

My dad was 15 years old when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. After he graduated high school early, he was immediately drafted into the Army. His service took him to Japan after the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki where he was a military policeman. At times, his service there was brutal.

My dad was not an especially accomplished person by the world's standards these days. He served in the Army and didn't earn any special medals, but he did the one thing that many who served with him didn't. He came home, got married, bought a car and house and had a family. For me, Memorial Day has always been a stark reminder that so many never enjoyed those simple pleasures of life.

This video shows the staggering cost of just World War 2 and not even including Vietnam, war in Korea, Iraq, etc. As it states, the average age of Americans killed in World War 2 was 23.

One day to remember these heroes isn't nearly enough. If we're not sharing their stories and passing along their legacy perpetually, we're missing the point.

My dad passed away after his battle with cancer in 2011, but I'm so thankful he lived long enough to enjoy what he fought for. Memorial Day reminds us that many didn't.